I don't get the "Never speed in Spring Valley" comment. Is it because the roads there are bad enough to tear up your car (since the rest of this blog entry is all about road repair), or is it because Spring Valley is one of the many well-to-do villages inside Houston that make extra municipal pocket money by busting speeding Houstonians on their way into town?

In the muti-ciies in the Spring branch area, speed IS enforced.  But if you do the speed limit, how can you get a speeding ticket?

METRO should not be building roads. Period. It should use all of its tax money to build and operate the transit system. This theft of the tax money is a Bob Lanier invention that should be gotten rid of.

Peter Wang said:  "METRO should not be building roads. Period. It should use all of its tax money to build and operate the transit system."

True---like using the money to get more two-car trains, bike racks that can hold three bikes instead of the usual two, and possibly hybrid you-know-whats=>Dominic knows but my lips are sealed.

DominicMazoch said:  

"In the muti-ciies in the Spring branch area, speed IS enforced.  But if you do the speed limit, how can you get a speeding ticket?"

What bugs me is that these wealthy little towns have enough cops with enough time on their hands that they can pull in extra municipal income by ticketing speeding Houstonians, whereas Houston doesn't have enough cops to return the favor. Thus, the rich towns get richer, and our (relatively) poor city stays poor.

Cedric:

The A-bus?

All:

I don't mind METRO improving a road, if and only if:

1.  The street will be used for a transit route.

2.  Better access to a P&R or station lot.

But acrually, from 1979 until now, 25% of the tax was to be for "general mobility" projects.  But I thought they were for things like street widening, paving, and traffic mangement.  But they also can be used for jury duty service...............?

Well, maybe if Voss is being widened, that could mean the 32-Voss/Bingle MIGHT happen one day.

Yeah, I know, wishful thinking.

Yes, Dominic---the A-bus.

ChloeMireille said:  "Well, maybe if Voss is being widened, that could mean the 32-Voss/Bingle MIGHT happen one day."

Uh-huh......yeah......but will enough people be willing to ride this route?  You don't want METRO to create a route that not too many people will ride and then METRO gets rid of it due to low ridership, correct?

People might ride it if it went to the Galleria.  Anything has to be faster than the 33 Post Oak Slowtown.

"Uh-huh......yeah......but will enough people be willing to ride this route?  You don't want METRO to create a route that not too many people will ride and then METRO gets rid of it due to low ridership, correct?"

I'd rather they try and fail than not try at all. And I'm sure you remember hearing about it, this time 4 years ago. They were going to run it from Hillcroft TC up Hillcroft/Voss/Bingle to somewhere on the Northwest side, I forget where. The route was planned by Metro and everything, and they backed out for no particular reason.

And I think the ridership is there because right now there's only 2 buses that run from Southwest Houston to Northwest Houston, the 46-Gessner and the 33-Post Oak. By starting it at Hillcroft TC, it becomes an extension of the 47-Hillcroft Crosstown, thus creating service on Hillcroft from S. Main up to 290.

We also need hybrid.......

.........got you, not only the A-bus

but some micros, so we can start something like the proposed 32......

Island Tranist in Galvestion uses some minis for regular route service.

wait, wait, wait...

You mean to tell me METRO is dropping $3.3 million on a street project where people rarely ride, but cant place new buses for the 102 where people actually ride?

I guess they'll have those convenient "one seat" routes to go downtown and to the Galleria, TxMC...

Creating a route and have it fail is a waste of time, resourses, etc.  I still would suggest talking about a new route to those folks who'll see that route go through their area(s) of town before making the route a reality.

Want some "micro" hybrids?  Tak to Orion Bus Industries.  At least they can give you such a model with TWO doors---unlike New Flyer.

Cedric:

But I wish OBI would make those OTHER units.  At least i did not see then at their web site!

Dominic,

       If you're talking about the "A" bus with that thing in the middle, OBI doesn't make those kinds of buses---yet.  They might but not right now.  Here's what they DO make:

Orion V=>Diesel, CNG.

Orion VII Next Generation=>Diesel, CNG, HEV.

They do NOT make the old style O7 bus similar to what NYCMTA has---for example.